Ansel Adams Photo Contest

[LMBSGV]

I thought a lot of people here might be interested in this (even if I don't want such great competition).

http://www.anseladams.com/content/yosem ... ntest.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[maverick]

Yeah right, no thank you:

"Participant retains ownership of the copyright in any submitted Photographs. However, by entering Photograph(s) in this Contest, participant grants Sponsor the irrevocable, perpetual right to edit, adapt, and publish any or all of the Photographs in marketing or advertising related to The Contest without compensation to the participant, his or her successors or assigns, or any other entity."

[LMBSGV]

Yes, you have to read the fine print. I neglected to do so until Tuesday night when I was actually trying to figure out what I wanted to submit and had to read that paragraph 4 times to make sure I wasn’t reading it wrong. I expected a contest from the Ansel Adams Gallery not to include something like this, which is why I posted the link. But then, as a film shooter, there’s also the irony of an Ansel Adams contest that doesn’t accept film submissions. Live and learn . . .

[mr.kurt]

I've considered entering photography contests before but never have, always being turned off by the fine print. Even though I'm no professional, I just never like the wording about rights and further usage and such. Each year my family encourages me to enter Costco's photo contest, but the fine print there states that the "entrant agrees that ownership of the entry and all intellectual property rights in the entry is assigned to Costco..."

Admittedly, I actually thought about entering this Ansel Adams contest, thinking that the rules are just the way it is out there, and if I wanted to take a stab at this photography thing then I'd have to just accept it.

So I guess I'd like to know what contests are OK in your minds? Or what wording makes you feel alright with entering? Do such contests even exist?

-Kurt

[maverick]

Hi Kurt

I have not looked at every contest out there, but a lot of them really only benefit
the Sponsors.
Imagine the 1000's of photo's submitted to these contests, and they get to market
and advertise them making many fold what they pay the winners!
IMO you are much better off showing you work in exhibits, shops/libraries
or even selling them at local wine & arts festivals.
The more you expose your work to the local population the better your chances are in
building a client base, which will build by word of mouth.
Just make sure you all ways put together the highest quality work you can, never cut
corners because your reputation will suffer much faster than it will have grown!

[lostcoyote]

imo, photo contests are a waste of time. you can submit your best fine print and then you're completely at the mercy of judges opinions and bias.

who's to say that a masterpiece painted by monet is better than a masterpiece by picasso?
(somebody has to win a contest)

same with excellent photographs and photographers.

[SteveB]

Yeah, I just read the assignment of rights, and have no intention of turning over an irrevocable, unlimited license to any of my photos. Would love nothing more than to enter just for vanity's sake, but I won't give up any of my photos to SmugMug et al.